Yo Blair ... the Bush and Blair rap

Much was made of the candid conversation between President George W Bush and Tony Blair during a quiet moment at the G8 summit in St Petersburg last July, recorded when, unknown to the two leaders, a microphone was left running. It confirmed for many the view that Blair was subservient, was Bush's poodle. We would rather see it as a sign that, like all close friends, they have their shorthand. Here is an extract of the finest moments, complete with our best attempts to decode their private patter.

Bush: Yo, Blair. How are you doing?

Blair: I'm just ...

Bush: You're leaving?

Blair: No, no, no not yet. On this trade thingy ...

['Thingy'? That'll be the attempt to progress towards a global trade pact].

Bush: Yeah, I told that to the man.

Bush: Thanks for [inaudible] it's awfully thoughtful of you.

Blair: It's a pleasure.

Bush: I know you picked it out yourself.

Blair: Oh, absolutely, in fact [inaudible

[Blair had given Bush a sweater. There's some disagreement here as to whether Bush is making a joke about Blair picking it out himself - PMs obviously have a busy schedule, but perhaps never too busy for George. A more generous take would suggest that Blair likes to show some thought when giving presents, rather than leave the choice to a hapless assistant. The exchange can only remind us of those magic casually attired moments - matching blue jeans - at Camp David

Bush: What about Kofi? [inaudible] His attitude to ceasefire and everything else ... happens.

Blair: Yeah, no I think the [inaudible] is really difficult. We can't stop this unless you get this international business agreed.

Bush :Yeah.

Blair: I don't know what you guys have talked about, but as I say I am perfectly happy to try and see what the lie of the land is, but you need that done quickly because otherwise it will spiral.

Bush: I think Condi is going to go pretty soon.

Blair: But that's, that's, that's all that matters. But if you ... you see it will take some time to get that together.

Bush: Yeah, yeah.

Blair: But at least it gives people ...

Bush: It's a process, I agree. I told her your offer to ...

Blair: Well ... it's only if I mean ... you know. If she's got a ... or if she needs the ground prepared as it were ... Because obviously if she goes out, she's got to succeed, if it were, whereas I can go out and just talk.

[This is the most embarrassing part of the exchange for Blair: he is offering to go the Middle East almost as a Bush emissary, suggesting that there will be less in play if he goes as opposed to Secretary of State Condi Rice. He can prepare for her. In his defence, he had seen the role of peacemaker in the Middle East as part of his legacy

Bush: You see, the ... thing is what they need to do is to get Syria, to get Hizbollah to stop doing this shit and it's over.

Blair: Syria.

Bush: Why?

Blair: Because I think this is all part of the same thing.

Bush: Yeah.

Blair: What does he think? He thinks if Lebanon turns out fine, if we get a solution in Israel and Palestine, Iraq goes in the right way ...

Bush: Yeah, yeah, he is sweet.

Blair: He is honey. And that's what the whole thing is about. It's the same with Iraq.

['Sweet'? 'Honey'? The man they appear to be talking about is Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. How great it is that the relationship between the two leaders can work at the level of rap

Bush: I felt like telling Kofi to call, to get on the phone to Assad and make something happen.

Blair: Yeah.

Bush: We are not blaming the Lebanese government.

Blair: Is this ...? [at this point Blair taps the microphone in front of him and the sound is cut.]